In a surprising proclamation from President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, they have announced an end to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives within government, but is there more to this narrative than meets the eye?
On January 20, 2025, President Trump instituted an executive order titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” which mandated the removal of DEI performance metrics from federal agencies. Fast forward to April, and Secretary Hegseth emphatically declared on social media that “DEI is DEAD at DOD.”
As we said from day one: DEI is DEAD at DOD. pic.twitter.com/0hl49kpINe
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) April 18, 2025
Hegseth continued to voice his intentions to scrub the military clean of what he labeled “toxic ideological garbage.” During a recent address to high-ranking military officials, he stated, “No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses. No more climate change worship. No more division, distraction, or gender delusions… we are done with that stuff.”
However, Dr. Rick Addante, a neuroscientist and former tenured psychology professor with over 25 years of academic experience, contends that DEI initiatives remain very much alive, especially within educational institutions.
Earlier this month, Dr. Addante unveiled a provocative three-minute undercover video released by O’Keefe Media Group. This footage captures the university president of Florida Tech apparently scheming to sidestep federal and state laws against DEI programs while discussing their training focus for the U.S. Space Force in light of previous DEI mandates instituted by Trump.
Hey, @SecDef: DEI is NOT “Dead at DoD”, I caught it on tape being covertly laundered through woke Universities lying about complying, to indoctrinate our warriors… Its paid for with… pic.twitter.com/pUENmOy3Ri
— Rick Addante, PhD (@RickAddante) September 1, 2025
In an interview, Dr. Addante, who has previously served in the Air Force Auxiliary and participated in NASA missions, revealed he was dismissed from a tenured position for exposing these alleged DEI practices. He even claimed he was offered $96,000 for silence—a proposal he categorically rejected in favor of transparency.
One of Addante’s principal concerns? He argues that “DEI is being reintroduced back into the Department of War through academic institutions, which serve as a Trojan horse.” He elaborates that military funds meant for training are being funneled to universities that promote these ideologies, ultimately indoctrinating the next generation of military leaders.
According to Addante, “You can remove every PowerPoint presentation that mentions DEI, shuffle personnel, or change policies, but if these institutions are still misleading about their compliance with DEI directives, it only acts as a conduit for reintegrating these ideologies back into the military.”
The fundamental question remains: what happens when universities continue to teach DEI and critical race theory to students while falsely asserting compliance? How are military personnel expected to defend a nation if they have been indoctrinated to disparage it?
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) notes that University Affiliated Research Centers received $1.5 billion in federal funding in fiscal year 2021, a statistic that raises eyebrows in light of Addante’s claims about hidden non-compliance.
He stresses that this not only poses an ideological risk but threatens the very readiness of armed forces. Citing recent disciplinary actions against service members posting incendiary content, Addante stresses that such views likely stem from the problematic ideologies introduced in universities.
As Addante poses a crucial question: “If they’re willing to say such things publicly, what thoughts do they harbor in private?” He insists that as long as academia persists in sending these ideological teachings into the military, we must consider whether it’s time to cut off funding to these institutions fueling such ideologies.
“You can’t trust universities to self-certify their compliance with Trump’s executive order,” says Addante. “We need systematic audits to ensure these institutions aren’t lying to maintain their federal funding.”
In his view, a DEI czar or a dedicated team should be created to expose and eliminate these troubling practices. “Having spent 25 years in academia, I know the ins and outs of where the issues lie, and I would be more than willing to assist in this audit,” he states. “Simply stripping DEI references from websites isn’t sufficient; these universities are unlikely to be caught as they perpetuate ideologies that will inevitably filter into our military.”
Furthermore, Dr. Addante warns that the influence of DEI extends deeply into clinical psychology, impacting military readiness as a whole. He highlights concerns over psychologists tending to be overwhelmingly from a left-leaning perspective, often detached from the realities faced by military personnel.
“When veterans seek mental health support for issues like PTSD, it’s crucial that their caregivers understand their experiences. Yet we risk having someone who may not empathize due to a fundamentally different belief system,” he says, asking how that could ever foster an environment for support.
To further explore these assertions, a recent Town Hall talk featuring Dr. Addante delves into the complexities of DEI’s ongoing influence within military structures.
